New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) Touted to be a classic Indian guide to citizen-craft, "The Nitopadesha", translated by columnist Nitin Pai, released on Monday, announced Penguin Random House India (PRHI).

A labyrinth of stories in the style of the Panchatantra and the Jataka tales, the book talks about politics, economics and philosophy.

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Covering aspects such as the meaning of citizenship, the ethical dilemmas one faces as a citizen and how one can deal with social issues, Pai's contemporary translation aims to serve as a "guide for democracies, economic freedom and power of self-governance".

"As citizens, we are called upon to decide on important matters concerning how our society is organised and governed, but there are very few guidebooks that tell us the right way to approach our duties.

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"I hope that 'The Nitopadesha' inspires us to be good citizens, compassionate, caring and far sighted," said Pai, who is also the co-founder and director of the Takshashila Institution, an independent think-tank and school of public policy.

"The Nitopadesha" is based on the distant land of Gandhara, where there was a janapada (small kingdom) called 'Chakrapuri'. It narrates how the elders of the land were a worried lot and children were uninterested in the welfare and upkeep of their kingdom.

Realising that the young must learn the art and craft of citizenship, the Sabha of Chakrapuri decided to employ Nitina of Takshashila, whose wisdom was said to be unparalleled, to teach their children.

"'The Nitopadesha' captures the storyline of the unconventional scholar being entrusted with the charge of these boys and girls for the next 90 days," read the description of the translated book.

According to Milee Ashwarya, publisher, PRHI, "The Nitopadesha" is a "valuable book" for contemporary readers on citizenship.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)